Container



May 3, 1960 H. HALL 2,935,108

CONTAINER Filed Sept. 12, 1958 gllllllll w INVENTOR.

HUGH HALL ATTORNEYS Mya United States Patent ice a 7 p L Patented May 3, 1960 a plurality of reinforcing ribs 20 are integrally formed between the inner surface of the rim 15 and the outer surfaces of walls 11. As shown most clearly in Fig. 2,

2 9 3 the ribs are circumferentially spaced about the body 5 of the container so that support is provided for rim 15 CONTAINER along its entire circumference.

Hugh Hall, Urbana, Ohio Application September 12, 1958, Serial No. 760,642

6 Claims. (Cl. 150-48) This invention relates to containers having removable covers, particularly to such containers molded of flexible plastic material.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a flexible plastic container having a cover and a body provided with interengaging parts for locking engagement of the cover on the body.

Another object of this invention is to provide a flexible plastic container having a sealing surface on its rim and a complementary sealing surface on a skirt portion of the cover, aifording a sealed enclosure.

A further object of this invention is to provide a release device which will disengage the locked-on lid from the container with a simple one-hand operation.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will :be apparent from the following description, the accompanying drawings and the appended claims.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a perspective view, partly broken away, showing a typical container according to the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a view of the underside of the container .cover :showing a portion of the Wall of the container body to illustrate the engaging relationship between the cover :and the body;

Fig. 3 is a somewhat enlarged, exploded fragmentary 'view showing the cover in position for assembly on the ibody;

Fig. 4 is a view taken on line 44 of Fig. 2, showing :the cover in locked engagement with the rimof the body;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, showing operation sof the release button to unlock the lid; and Fig. 6 is an enlarged section taken along the line 6-6 -.()f Fig. 2 showing an opposite portion of the cover in i1OCkd position.

Referring to the drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention, Fig. '1 shows a container :of the pail type including a bottom wall 10 and side walls 11 extending upwardly from the bottom wall and *preferably molded integrally therewith, the side and bottom walls forming the chamber for holding material. A :preferable material for construction of .the container is.a

flexible substantially inert plastic such as polyethylene.

The bottom wall 10 is shown as including integral con- :centric corrugations for increased rigidity, and the side walls 11 are preferably formed with a pluralityof ribs :and flutes. A pair of bail ears 12 aredntegrallyformed on opposite sides of the containerto receive a carrying Ebail 13 which. is formed with hooked ends 14 for at- ;tachment to the bail ears 12.

The upper end of walls 11 have an integral, overhanging rim 15 defining the upper opening of the container body which includes a generally horizontal upper surface 16 extending outwardly from walls 11 and an outer sealing surface 17 sloping downwardly from upper sur- 'face 16 to terminate in a lower edge 18. The lower edge 18 is located below the upper end of walls 11 and is radially spaced from the outer surface of the walls. To '1 .avoid undue distortion and warping of the rim structure,

The cover 25 is constructed for a tight seal with. the rim 15, and for locking of the cover on the rim. As shown in the drawings, the cover 25 is molded in one piece of the same material as the remainder of the container, and includes a central crown portion 26 for mounting on the container to close the material holding chamber formed by bottom wall 10 and side walls 11. The crown 26 extends over most of the opening in the upper end of the container and has a supporting portion 27 formed on the outer edge thereof for contact with rim 15 to support the cover 25. Since the inner surface of supporting portion 27 is slightly sloped and might cause cover 25 to seat unevenly, and also to prevent unnecessary wear on this portion, a plurality of support shoulders 28 are spaced about the circumferential extent of supporting portion 27. Each support shoulder 28 has a generally horizontally extending surface 29 for engagement with the upper surface 16 of rim 15 toachieve the desired even seating of cover 25 and prevent undue wear on the portion 27.

An annular skirt portion 35, formed integrally with the crown 26 and support portion 27, extends downwardly from the outer edge of support portion 27 and has its inner surface shaped generally complementary to sealing surface 17 on rim 15. Thus, when cover 25 is placed on rim 15 the sealing surface 17 contacts, substantially throughout its entire width, the inner surface of skirt 35 to form a tight seal.

The locking of .cover 25 to rim 15 is accomplished by a plurality of tangs 40 and 41 formed integrally with and extending inwardly from the inner surface of skirt portion 35, the tangs being located a slight distance above the lower edge of the skirt portion and having upper surfaces 42 engaging the lower edge of rim 15 and locking the cover 25 on the container. The surfaces 42 are spaced from shoulders 29 a distance substantially equal to the distance between rim surface 16 and the edge 18 of the sealing surface 17.

The tangs 40 and 41 should be so arranged angularly with respect to each other that the cover 25 is retained in locked position, with the tangs engaged beneath rim edge 18 as shown in Figs. 4 and 6, providing a seal around the entire circumference of the rim and the lid skirt. Thus, the surface 17 and the interior of skirt 35 are engaged about the entire rim providing a seal which substantially eliminates odors from escaping from the enclosed container chamber. Furthermore, with the tangs so arranged, for example as shown in Fig. 2, the lid is locked in sealed position on the container body, and in order to release the lid one of the tangs must be first released from engagement within the rim edge 18.

A preferable arrangement of the tangs is shown in Fig. 2, wherein the tangs 48 are spaced approximately from each other and the tang 41 is placed at the opposite side of a diameter bisecting the space between tangs 40. In other words, tang 41 is spaced appromixately from each other of the tangs 40. Release of the lid from its locked closed positions is provided in accordance with the invention by deforming the lid, which is formed of somewhat flexible material, in the region of tang 41 to disengage this tang from'contact With rim edge 18.

An integral handle 43 is formed on the lower edge'of skirt portion 35 immediately beneath tmg 41, such that this handle can be grasped to pull outwardly on the lid skirt and release tang 41 from the rim, as shown in Fig. 5. This handle provides a means, in itself, suflicient to re- 3 lease the tang 41 and unlock the lid for removal. However, an additional means is provided in accordance with the invention for facilitating one-hand operation of unlocking and removing the lid.

Thus, referring to Figs. 4 and 5, a push button 59 ex= tends through the skirt 35, having an inner head 52 which is received between the inner surface of lid skirt portion 35 and the sealing surface 17 of the rim. Head 52 is substantially thin, as shown in Fig. 4, such that it does not interfere with locking engagement of tang 41 with the rim edge 18. The barrel or red portion 53 of the push button extends through anaperture 54 in skirt 35, and terminates in an outer head 55 which is engageable to force the inner head against the rim and deform the lid, effecting release of tang 41. For this purpose the length of the barrel or red 53 is at least sufficient to provide a travel of inner head 52 equal to the width of tang 41.

Thus, to unlock the lid, assuming that it is in locked and sealed position as shown in Fig. 4, .it is necessary only to grasp the rearward surface of handle 43 with the fingers and press against the outer head 54% of the push button with the thumb of the same hand to distort or deform the lid sulficient to release tang 41. The lid may then be lifted by the handle whereupon it will pivot about an axis extending generally through the tangs 40 and can readily be removed from the body of the container. To replace and lock the lid it is necessary only to place it on the rim and press down upon the lid, being sure to engage all of the tangs beneath the rim edge 18.

For convenience a book 60 is secured to the interior of the lid, fastened thereto by a pair of stems 61 molded integrally with the inner surface of the lid, and having enlarged heads 62 formed over the apertures 63 .in the hook to retain it on the lid. The hook thus provides a convenient means for hanging the lid on an edge of'the open container while placingmaterial therein.

A container in accordance with the invention preferably is molded entirely of a flexible plastic material, such as polyethylene, which is durable, substantially inert, and resistant to breakage or chipping. Furthermore, being non-metallic, such containers are inherently less noisy than metal containers, and therefore are advantageously used in hospitals or similar institutions where minimum noise is desirable. Containers as herein provided, being substantially inert, are not readily subject'to corrosion, either from materials contained therein, or by reason of being allowed to air dry after washing. The

seal and locking arrangement prevents disagreeable odors from escaping from the container, as aforementioned, and furthermore assures that the lid cannot be accidentally dislodged or dislodged by animals or the like.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Serial No. 712,999, filed February 3, 195 8, now abandoned, and assigned to the same assignee.

While the form of apparatus herein described constia tutes a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that this invention is not limited to this precise form of apparatus, and that changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention which is defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A container comprising, a body including a bottom wall and side walls extending upwardly from said bottom wall forming a chamber for receiving material, a rim formed on the upper end of said walls including a sealing surface terminating in a lower edge below the upper end of said walls and spaced outwardly therefrom, a cover of relatively flexible material having a central crown and supporting portions formed adjacent the outer edge of said crown for contact with said rim to support said cover in enclosing relation with said body, an annular skirt portion integral with said crown and said supporting portions and extending downwardly from the outer edge of said crown, integral tangs extending radially inwardly from said skirt portionat spaced positions about said skirt portion, said tangs being spaced below said supporting portions a distance substantially equal tothe height of said sealing surface for engaging the lower edge of said rim at spaced locations thereabout to lock said cover on said container, and a handle extending from the lower edge of said skirt portion beneath one of said tangs providing means for distorting a portion of said skirt away from said sealing surface to disengage said one tang and release said cover from locked engagement with said body.

2. A container comprising, a body including a bottom wall and side walls extending upwardly from said bottom wall forming a chamber for receiving material, a nm on the upper end of said walls terminating in a lower edge below the upper end of said walls and spaced outwardly therefrom, a cover formed of relatively flexible material :adapted for mounting .on said body to enclose said chamber, a skirt portion on said cover extending downwardly from the outer edge thereof, integraltangs extending inwardly fromsaid skirt portion, said tangs including upper surfaces for engaging the lower edge of said rim to lock said cover on said container, a handle extending from the lower edge of said skirt portion adjacent one of said tangs providing means for distorting a portion of said skirt away from said rim to disengage said one tang and release said cover from said container, a release button extending through said skirt portion above said one tang, said button including a head engageable with walland side walls extending upwardly from said bottom wall forming a chamber for receiving material, a rim .formed on the upper end of said walls including a sealing surface terminating in a lower edge below the upper end of said walls and spaced outwardly therefrom, a cover of relatively flexible material having a central crown and supporting portions formed adjacent the outer edge .of said crown for contact with said rim to support said cover in enclosing relation with said body, an annular skirt portion integral with said crown and said supporting portions and extending downwardly from the outeredge of said crown, integral tangs extending radially inwardly from said skirt portion, said tangs being spaced below said supporting portions a distance substantially equal to the height of said .sealing surface for engaging the lower edge of said rim to lock said cover on said con-v tainer, a handle extending from the lower edge of said skirtportion adjacent one of said tangs providing means for distorting a portion of said skirt away from said sealing surface to disengage said one tang and release said cover from locked engagement with said body, a release 'button extending through said skirt portion above said one tang, said button including a head engageable with said rim, and a rod secured to said head and projecting through said skirt portion to force said head against said skirt portion and distort said skirt away from :said rim .upon application of pressure upon said release the upper-end of said walls terminating in a lower edge :below the upper. end. of said walls and spaced outwardly therefrom, :acover formed of relatively flexible material adapted :for mounting onsaid' body to enclose said cham- -ber,:a plurality of tangsformed integrally with said cover and engageable with the lower edge of said rim to lock said :cover on said container, a handle extending from one e'dge 0f=said cover adjacent one ofsaid tangs providing means for distorting a portion of said cover away from said rim to disengage said one tang, and release means operably mounted on said cover and engageable with said rim to cooperate with said handle in distorting said lid to disengage said one tang from said rim.

5. A container, comprising a bottom wall and side walls molded integrally of relatively flexible material, said walls forming a chamber for receiving material, a rim integrally formed on the upper end of said side walls terminating in a lower edge below said upper end of said side Walls and spaced outwardly therefrom, a cover of relatively flexible material having a central crown and a depending skirt portion formed about said crown for engagement with said rim to mount said cover in sealing relation enclosing said chamber, a first integral tang ex- .tending radially inwardly from said skirt portion and engageable with the lower edge of said rim, a pair of additional integral tangs spaced substantially less than 180 from each other and projecting inwardly from said skirt on the opposite side of said cover from said first tang to cooperate therewith in locking said cover over said rim, and a handle extending from said skirt portion adjacent said first tang providing means for distorting said skirt portion in the region of said first tang to disengage said first tang from said rim and unlock said cover for removal from the container.

6. A container, comprising a bottom wall and side walls molded integrally of relatively flexible material, said walls forming a chamber for receiving material, a rim integrally formed on the upper end of said side Walls terminating in a lower edge below said upper end of said side walls and spaced outwardly therefrom, a cover of relatively flexible material having a central crown and a depending skirt portion formed about said crown for engagement with said rim to mount said cover in sealing relation enclosing said chamber, a first integral tang extending radially inwardly from said skirt portion and engageable with the lower edge of said rim, additional integral tangs projecting inwardly from said skirt on the opposite side of said cover from said first tang to cooperate therewith in locking said cover over said rim, a handle extending from said skirt portion adjacent said first tang providing means for distorting said skirt portion in the region of said first tang to disengage said first tang from said rim and unlock said cover for removal from the container, and a release button extending through said skirt portion adjacent said first tang and engageable with said rim, said button being cooperable with said handle upon application of pressure thereon to distort said skirt portion away from said rim.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,435,394- Hothersall Nov. 14, 1922 2,307,087 White Jan. 5, 1943 2,350,950 Wiley June 6, 1944 2,752,060 Martin June 26, 1956 2,765,096 Sharp Oct. 2, 1956 2,805,812 Seaton Sept. 10, 1957 2,813,650 Takahashi et a1 Nov. 19, 1957 

